Three days after the demise of legendary actor Dharmendra on November 24, 2025, in Mumbai due to prolonged age-related complications, his wife and iconic actress-dancer Hema Malini has shared her first public statement since the tragedy, pouring out raw grief in a deeply moving social media tribute that has left millions heartbroken.

In a note accompanied by a heart emoji and addressed to “Dharam ji,” Hema Malini painted an intimate portrait of the man she spent decades with, describing him not merely as a husband but as the complete universe of her emotional world: a loving partner, an adoring father to their daughters Esha and Ahana Deol, a confidant in moments of crisis, a poet who found beauty in the ordinary, and the one person she instinctively turned to through every joy and sorrow that life presented.

Celebrating his unparalleled stature in Indian cinema, where he reigned for over six decades as Bollywood’s original ‘He-Man’ and the epitome of charisma, Hema emphasised his rare humility that endeared him to co-stars, technicians, and fans alike, declaring him a unique and unequalled legend whose body of work—from Sholay to Chupke Chupke—will continue to inspire and entertain generations long after his physical departure.

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The depth of her personal devastation surfaces most powerfully when she confesses that the magnitude of her loss defies articulation, that the vacuum created by his absence is an irreversible wound she will carry for the remainder of her life, and that after half a century of togetherness, she now survives on an endless reel of memories—private laughter, quiet conversations, and countless shared sunsets—that have suddenly become her sole companionship.

Dharmendra, survived by second wife Hema Malini, first wife Prakash Kaur, and six children—Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Esha Deol, Ahana Deol, Ajeeta, and Vijeta—was cremated with full state honours in Mumbai on Monday, while a solemn prayer meeting has been scheduled today from 5 pm to 7:30 pm at a prominent city hotel, where family, colleagues, and admirers will gather to pay final respects to one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved and enduring icons.

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